Seven-year-old Joe sometimes comes to worship with his grandparents and listens very carefully, even answering my rhetorical questions. His parents told him recently he could have a cat, so he was pretty pumped.
They asked, “What are you going to name your cat?”
He answered, “Dr. Chancey!”
They responded, “So he’s a preacher cat? Who’s he going to preach to?”
He said, “Other cats!”
At least he didn’t name him Dr. Chauncey. You would think Chancey was a simple name. Yet, people call me Chaney, Clancy, Chauncey, or Chance. I have one guy who, when we see each other, always asks me the weather forecast, referring to David Chandley, the Fox 5 Atlanta meteorologist.
Several years ago, a pastor named David Chauncey moved to Marietta to pastor Eastside Baptist Church. Occasionally, I got phone calls or mail to me, David Chancey, sent to Fayetteville, but they thought I was David Chauncey.
One time I got a letter reminding me about a really important meeting of a critical committee in Georgia Baptist life and I didn’t realize I was on that committee. A friend of mine served as state convention president at the time, and I thought possibly he had appointed me, and I wasn’t notified.
I called and told the lady who sent the letter, “I think you have the wrong David. I’m David Chancey from McDonough Road and I think you want David Chauncey from Eastside. I’m not important enough to be on this committee.”
She insisted it was me, but I asked her to doublecheck. She emailed back later and told me that I was right. It was supposed to be David Chauncey, not Chancey. Occasionally someone still confuses Chancey with Chauncey though Chauncey moved out of state.
In Bible times, the name was more than a label, but was given to communicate character or designate mission. When the angel told Mary she would bear a son and call his name Jesus (Luke 1:31), he told her how great Jesus would be. Philippians 2:9 says His name is a name above every name, the most important name in all the earth.
Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the first and the last” (The Revelation 22:13). In Greek, Alpha is the first letter and Omega is the last letter. Jesus was saying He is all we need from A to Z!
Jesus is our Alpha, our Adonai, Advocate, the Almighty, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
He is the Babe of Bethlehem, the Bridegroom, the Bread of life, the Bright and Morning Star.
He is the Christ, the Creator, the Cornerstone, the Counselor, the Chosen One, the Chief Shepherd.
He is the Door, the Daystar, our Delight and Deliverer.
Jesus is Emmanuel, the Exalted One, from Everlasting to Everlasting.
He is the First Fruits of the Resurrection, the Fountain of life, the Foundation of the church, the Friend of sinners.
He is God, our Guide, the Good Shepherd, the Great Physician.
He is our Hope, our Help, our Healer, our High Priest.
He is the great I Am, our Inheritance, the Immortal, Invisible One.
He is our Joy, our Justifier.
He is the King of Kings, the King of Glory.
Jesus is the Lord, the Life, the Love, the Light of the world, the Living Water, the Lamb of God.
He is the Messiah, the Master, the Mediator, the Messenger, the Man of Sorrows.
He is the Nazarene, the New Wine, the New Covenant, the Name that is above every name.
He is the Omega, our Offering for sin, the Only begotten of the Father.
He is the Prophet, the Priest, our Passover, the Propitiation for our sin, the Prince of Peace.
He is the Quieter of the storms of life.
He is the Redeemer, the Refuge, the Refiner, the Rose of Sharon, the Resurrection and the Life.
He is the Savior, the Shepherd, the Suffering Servant, the Son of God.
He is the Truth, and our Teacher.
He is the Unblemished Lamb of God.
He is the Vine, the Vicarious Sacrifice, the Victor over the grave.
He is the Way, the Word made flesh, the Witness, the Water of life, our Wonderful Counselor.
He is the Expected Messiah of the Old Testament and the Exalted Lord of the New Testament.
He is our Yokefellow and Yesterday, Today and Forevermore.
Jesus is Zion’s Holy King.
Is He your King?
[David L. Chancey is pastor, McDonough Road Baptist Church, Fayetteville, GA. Visit www.mcdonoughroad.org for online viewing options and more information. Visit www.davidchancey.com to see Chancey’s other writings, including his newly-released book.]
Amen! Beautifully stated. Thank you for publishing this Dr. Chancey. (And even auto-correct is fighting me to spell your name correctly…lol)